State DOT workers charged in theft

WIRT — Two state Department of Transportation employees working in Friendship are due to appear in court on charges that they stole from the state highway department, according to reports.

State police arrested Jeff Harmon, 52, and Sarah Dunmire, 48, both of Wirt, Dec. 11 and 12, according to The Olean Times Herald.

Harmon allegedly took two loads of blacktop millings, worth about $250 each, to Dunmire’s residence, according to state police and DOT?investigated this complaint and it was recorded as a department policy violation.

Harmon was charged with first-degree falsifying business records, a felony, petit larceny and official misconduct and Dunmire with two counts of fifth-degree possession of stolen property, The Times Herald reported.

According to published reports, state police said the falsifying business records charge was filed against Harmon for allegedly conducting personal business while he said he was at a job site.

Harmon and Dunmire are due to appear in Wirt Town Court at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Dorothy Nisbet, public information officer for DOT?Region 6 in Hornell, said Saturday in a statement, “We do not comment on personnel matters. We do confirm that these employees work for us, but this is an ongoing personnel issue.”